Flirt
by FairyTaleLives
Summary: Abby decides to further her relationship with Connor by flirting with him, but he just doesn't seem to get it. That is until he does. (set s.3. Joint fiction from SveaR & Cehsja)
1. Chapter 1

Abby sighed as she pushed aside the clutter on Connor's desk so she could dust it. Really she should make him dust the loft, seeing as he was the one that lived up here, but the whole house got stuffy when it wasn't done in such a long time and she'd probably have to wait years before Connor actually did the job himself.

She was just finishing up when the doorbell rang and she froze where she stood. If that was Caroline again she was going to… Well, she didn't actually have a plan yet, but she wouldn't be happy, that's for sure. The girl had been driving her crazy for the past few weeks. She understood that Caroline felt bad about everything that had happened, and she _did _believe that she was honestly sorry, but could she _not _just leave them alone now? Connor had dumped her _before _it came out that she was paid to date him, so clearly that was a sure sign she should stop hitting on him, right?

To her relief, it wasn't Caroline after all. She stood upstairs listening as Connor warmly greeted the person on the other side of the door and let whoever it was in. _Duncan, _she realised a moment later with a smile. Duncan was good. He wasn't a threat to her in any way and his visit would make Connor happy.

She was about to go down and greet him when she overheard Duncan suddenly ask, "So, where's the hot blonde you live with?"

Abby chuckled softly to herself and sat herself down on Connor's bed, deciding to stay put and listen for a few moments.

"Upstairs," Connor replied as he and Duncan settled themselves on the sofa with a can of soda. Connor handed Duncan a controller. "She's cleaning me room."

"Dude! You got it good! How'd you get in with her anyway? Are you like a couple now?"

"Nah," Connor replied. "She's too good for me. She just puts up with me 'cuz she needs my rent money is all."

Abby froze. He didn't really think that did he?

"She must like you _some_," Duncan protested. "Wouldn't she just find someone else to rent her flat if it was only the money? Someone who cleans their own room? I mean, you lived with me and Tom for a bit outta high school Con, I _know _what your room looks like."

"She's just dustin' it. Probably easier than kicking me out and searching for a new flatmate. Anyway, I guess she thinks I'm alright. Once she said she quite liked having me around. That don't mean she wants to go out with me, Dunc."

"Is she seeing someone else?"

Connor shook his head, "No, Abby doesn't date."

"Why not? She's hot. I bet she could get any guy she wanted."

"Yeah, she could, but she's too good for 'em all I guess. Or maybe it's 'cuz of work. You know what we do is pretty classified and it'd be hard to date someone you couldn't tell such a big secret to."

"Think she'd go out with me?"

Abby tried not to laugh, not only because she didn't want them to know she was listening, but also because she knew that'd just be mean.

Downstairs, Connor shook his head, "Nah, and I'm not gonna ask, Dunc. You know I still love her. I'm not exactly in a rush for her to go out and find someone else, you know."

Abby gasped at how easily Connor had just used the "L" word. So he _had _really said it that day on the cliff top then. The casual tone he said it with now made her wonder if everyone but she knew about his feelings. Then she realised she _did _know too, they just didn't discuss it with each other. She'd have to have been blind not to know.

Downstairs the talk turned to the video game, but Abby sat on the bed a bit longer trying to compose herself. She hated that Connor thought she was only _tolerating _him. _Hell_, she even returned his feelings of love and she knew it, she just wasn't telling anyone else that yet, let alone _him. _

_But maybe she should be. _The thought suddenly occurred to her that she might leave it too long. Yes, Connor had broken up with Caroline once, and he didn't seem to be that into her visits, but she _had _been stopping by a lot lately and he rarely told her to leave. What if he gave up on Abby and settled for her again? Or found someone else because he wanted something that Abby couldn't give him?

Abby shuddered at the idea of Connor with another girlfriend. She didn't want to go through it again. _Tonight, _she thought to herself. After Duncan was gone she'd do something really nice for Connor, maybe even flirt a bit. She was kind of hoping that Connor'd be the one to ask her out, but she also knew it wouldn't happen without some major hints that she was interested now.

She smiled to herself, thinking it could be a bit of a game, see how much flirting it would take before he caught on, or something like that. Could be fun. She picked up the duster and went downstairs to greet Duncan and find out how long he was planning on staying for.

* * *

After greeting Duncan, Abby caught Connor's eye and gave him a little wink. After all, there didn't seem to be any reason to wait for Duncan to leave for a small flirtatious gesture like that. Then she made her way into the kitchen to prepare herself a sandwich while she thought about what she'd actually do. She was just adding a slice of cheese to the bread whan an idea popped into her mind. With a grin on her face she began to work.

Abby placed a few more pieces of bread on the counter top and added to them some cream cheese and the slices of chicken breast that she and Connor had had the day before for dinner to half of them. Then she placed some salad and sliced tomatoes on the meat and put the rest of the bread on top. She cut the sandwiches into handy bite-sized pieces and reached out for the bag of her favorite crisps, knowing Connor loved them just as much.

She also poured the rest of the cheese dip, which she had found in the fridge, into a bowl and added some olives and onions to it, remembering that Connor had once mentioned how much he liked cheese dip with those ingredients. With a plate full of finger food draped around the crisps in one hand, and the dip in the other, Abby returned to the living room twenty minutes later. She placed the food on the coffee table, "Thought you two might like to have a bite to eat."

Without waiting for an answer, she left the boys to their computer game. She felt Connor's eyes on her while she walked to her bedroom and she closed the bedroom door behind her, a huge smile playing across her face.

* * *

Duncan turned to Connor, his expression skeptical. "Con, Mate, are you _sure _Abby doesn't love you? Because… well, this was awfully nice of her."

It took Connor a moment to register the question, and then he turned away watching Abby's door to face Duncan. "Too nice, Dunc. Something's up, and I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing. What do you think she's playing at? Abby _never _makes me lunch. She's definitely up to something and I sure wish I knew what."

"Or she likes you. C'mon Con, she was cleaning your room when I got here and now she's making you snacks."

"Yeah, but Duncan, you don't know Abby like I do. This isn't normal Abby behavior, trust me on that."

Duncan shrugged, "Then maybe she likes _me._"

Connor slapped his pal friendly-like on the shoulder, "Sorry, Dunc, but I doubt it. Anyway, why would she clean _my _room because she likes _you?_"

"Well okay then… Oh! I got it! I bet she broke something of yours when she was dusting your room and she's being extra nice so you don't get mad!"

That seemed logical, too logical. Connor was off the couch in a moment dashing up the stairs to search through his things. To his surprise, everything _seemed _to be in one piece, though it was a bit hard to tell with all the clutter. Maybe after Duncan left he'd actually thoroughly tidy up like Abby'd been begging him to do. He'd announce his intentions too; if she protested _cleaning _he'd _know _she was trying to hide something up there.

In the meantime he went back downstairs to enjoy his snack.


	2. Chapter 2

Abby stayed in her room until she heard Duncan leaving in the evening. She had used the time to consider her flirting-plan and had made a few mental notes on how to put the plan into action. The blonde didn't want to be too obvious from the start, she would simply drop a few hints here and there. For now, doing the girl-thing had to wait. Instead, she emerged her room and ignored the mess the guys had made as she reached for the phone. It was Connor's turn to do the cooking, but she knew how much he hated it, so she decided to suggest another night of takeaway.

* * *

With a large pizza to share, they settled in front of the TV.

"So, what do you want to watch, Con?" Abby didn't miss his surprised look, and she couldn't blame him. They usually argued about which program to watch. "What?" she asked innocently, "Can't I just let my best friend choose the program for once?"

* * *

That was it, Abby had definitely done something or broken something and Connor had to figure out what it was. How else was he supposed to tell her that it was okay and that she was forgiven. Of course, he was slightly tempted to leave it and see how long this behavior would last, but… no, he couldn't do that.

"Abby," he said cautiously, "I've been thinking that maybe it's time I cleaned my room."

If he'd expected her to panic, he was badly mistaken. Instead, an amused smile played across her lips. "Now as in, _right this second_? I was hoping to enjoy our evening but seeing as how I've been pleading with you to do that for ages, I'm not gonna stop you."

"So you wouldn't mind if I cleaned my room?"

"Mind!? No! Connor, if that mess up there is because you thought I _wanted _you to live like a pig, there's been some major misunderstanding."

"Hmmm…." He was really confused now but he took her up on her offer and switched the channel to a documentary on dinosaurs. It was corny and geeky beyond belief, but he wanted to test something.

Abby didn't protest in the slightest, confirming that something was up. But maybe it wasn't _in _his room. Maybe whatever she'd broken had already been removed.

"Abby, where's me light saber?"

"Top shelf of your closet, why?"

"And me favourite sweater?"

"On the floor in the front hall."

"My Starwars dvds?"

"One is in the dvd player, one is on the kitchen table, the others are in their box which is under your bed."

"My socks?"

Abby gave him a puzzled expression, "Connor what…"

"Just answer please."

"You've got eight pair Connor. Three are in the laundry, two are in your top drawer because they stank so bad I washed them with mine and put them away, one your wearing, the other two are _not _folded into a pair. You've got one sock hanging over Rex's cage, two mismatched ones on your floor and one red sock stuck in the top of your x-box."

"What about…" he paused, wondering how long it was actually going to take if he named every single thing he owned. Ages, he decided. He'd figure out what she'd broken later. Instead he just shrugged at her, "Actually that's pretty impressive. Maybe I'll stop there. Oh, wait, I've got one… Is there anything of mine that is not where I put it? Is there anything broken or damaged in any way?"

"Yes." This was it, she was gonna admit it. "That action figure that Rex chewed on last week, you left it on my bedroom floor and I trashed it." Or not.

"Abby I already _knew _that."

* * *

Abby wasn't quite sure what had been up with all of Connor's weird questions, but she ignored it for now. She knew she was acting differently towards him, so she supposed the interrogation was allowed. As she got ready for bed that night, she thought to herself that this flirting thing was actually more fun than she'd expected it to be, and doing him a favour here and there was something she could imagine doing more often, the surprised expression on his face, followed by that smile that showed off his dimples was well worth the effort.

* * *

The blonde had withhold herself from dropping to many hints the next day, but whenever she talked to Connor at the ARC she stepped a little bit closer to him than she usually did, put her hand on his arm whenever she thought it wasn't too obvious, and let her fingers brush against his when she handed him something.

Connor had promised Cutter that he'd help with some work the professor wanted to finish tonight, so Abby had done their weekly grocery shopping alone. As she wandered through the aisles filled with sweets, cookies and small cakes an idea entered her mind. A small vanilla cake with chocolate frosting found his way into the shopping cart.

Before Abby retired to her room for the night, she placed the small cake on the coffee table and got out a pad. Quickly she scribbled down a short note for Connor:

_Connor, here's a little bedtime sweet for you. Hope the extra hours weren't too long. Abby_

She placed the piece of paper in front of the cake and kept the light on to make sure that Connor saw her little surprise.

As she climbed into bed and pulled her duvet closer around her, she imagined her flatmate's face, when he spotted the cake. And with that image of Connor in her mind, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Connor blinked a couple of times as he stared at the cake, his mouth open in surprise. She'd _bought him a cake? _His eyes moved from the cake to her closed bedroom door and then back again. As far as he'd been able to tell yesterday, she hadn't broken anything of his, which meant this was about something else. He just didn't know what. She'd been acting peculiar all day but… _a cake? _

Maybe he'd missed something. He ran over to the kitchen calendar, but there was nothing written on that. He knew it was wrong, but he snuck a peek at Abby's personal planner too. Nothing. Was it his birthday? No, not even close.

He'd just had dinner, stopping for a slice of pizza on the way home, but he cut the cake in half and put half onto a plate. Whatever it was that she was up to, he might as well enjoy it while it lasted. He ate it quickly, putting the rest of the cake in the fridge for work tomorrow, and then wrote her a note of his own, sliding it under her bedroom door.

_Thanks Abby. The cake was delicious. Still some left so help yourself, seeing as you bought it and all. _

Then he went to bed himself, forgetting about Abby and work for the moment in exchange for sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Abby woke up to the smell of coffee. With a ,she got out of bed and followed the scent into the kitchen. "Good morning." She greeted Connor.

"Morning."

Abby took out her favorite cup and filled it with the hot beverage. She leaned against the kitchen counter and studied Connor. He was completely lost in a comic book, his cuppa in one hand, in the other a fork with which he tried to pick up a piece of the cake without averting his gaze from the comic.

"Thanks for the cake, I left you some in the fridge Abs."

For a second, Abby thought that she'd decline his offer to make it clear that the cake was for him alone. But suddenly the blonde wondered if he had even understood that the cake and the sandwiches was her way of flirting. Absorbed in her thoughts Abby wandered to the fridge. With the plate in her hands, she sat down opposite from Connor. Maybe it was time to be a little less subtle.

"Con, there is a new movie in the theaters, I would like to see. Would you go with me?"

Connor raised his eyes, "Which one?"

"Land of the Lost."

She saw the excitement in Connor's eyes before he spoke. Abby knew he would love that choice, but if she was honest there were many movies she'd much rather see. "That would be great! We could ask Cutter, Jenny and Sarah, maybe even Becker if they'd like to come along.!"

Abby swallowed the lump that had started to form when Connor began to name their colleagues. "I meant, just you and me."

Connor froze for a moment and looked her. It was as if something had just clicked in his mind. He remembered how she'd barely left his side yesterday at work, standing extra close to him, even touching him at times as if she couldn't quite get close enough. _She'd needed his protection!_ Suddenly he felt sick to the stomach and he grabbed her wrist. "Abby, did… did one of them hurt you? Is that why you don't want them there? Did anyone say something to upset you? You'd tell me, right? Was it Becker? Do I need to punch him?"

For a moment, Abby was speechless. His expression told her he genuinely worried about her and that he meant his offer to punch Becker. The image of that alone was enough for Abby. She burst out laughing but as soon as she saw the hurt look in his eyes her laughter died again on her tongue. No, she didn't want to hurt him again. Abby reached out over the table and touched his hand. "Thanks, Con but you don't need to punch Becker. I just want to go to the movies with you alone. No reason."

"Right," Connor replied, puzzled, and wondering a little what she'd been laughing at. He hoped it wasn't at him? Then again, he didn't like to think she was laughing at _nothing. _Her behavior was so un-Abby-like lately, but she didn't _seem _sick or crazy… Then he noticed that she was watching him expectantly and he smiled at her, "Sure Abs, that'd be great. A bit of bonding time, eh?"

She nodded and Connor excused himself to go shower and dress for the day. As soon as she was out of earshot he gave Duncan a call. "Hey Dunc? Listen, I'm gonna have to cancel out on game night tonight. Abby wants me to go to the movies with her."

"_So she cleans your room, makes you food, and now you're going on a date with her… please tell me you're not still denying that she likes you." _

"It's not like that Dunc. Trust me, she's told me plenty of times that she's not interested in me as more than a friend."

"_Yeah, then why you cancelling our plans for hers?" _

"Cuz it's Abby and her feelings about me don't change my feelings for her. Besides, maybe I can change her mind one day. At least it seems she wants to genuinely spend time with me lately. That's better than normal when it seems she puts up to me cuz she has to."

"_So she's been acting different around you? Maybe she didn't like you before and she does now, Con."_

"Nah. Don't forget Dunc, I was there when she liked Stephen and she acted all girly and stuff. Wore a skirt and perfume she did."

"_What's she got on now?"_

"Pyjamas. She just got up, Dunc."

"_Then you don't know anything yet, do you? I bet she likes you Con. You just gotta pay more attention to the signs as all." _

Connor agreed to do so, mostly to hurry up the pointless conversation. Seemed there was no convincing Duncan, he thought with a laugh as he hung up the phone.

* * *

When Abby stepped in front of the mirror, she saw the nervousness that she had felt all day long displaying in her eyes. She hadn't been able to concentrate on her work and she'd been relieved when the day ended without an anomaly alert. More than once she had thought about feigning an excuse why she suddenly didn't want to go to movies. But, while letting Connor know about the feelings she had for him scared her, the idea of him eventually dating somebody else was something Abby didn't want to picture at all.

Her heart beat increased a little when she gave her reflection a once-over. It was a rare sight, even for herself. Abby was wearing a grey dress that ended mid-thighs, a pair of black leggings and her black Converse. She had applied just a bit of make up, mascara and a light rose lip gloss, to complete her outfit.

When she heard Connor call for her from the living room, Abby reached for her small purse. With pounding heart she emerged the bedroom. Her grip tightened around the purse when she met Connor's eyes. She bit her lower lip almost shyly, waiting for his reaction.

Connor stared at Abby in shocked surprise. He should probably tell her how amazing she looked, obviously she'd gone to loads of effort, but he was too speechless to make the words out. The outfit was one thing, but even more surprising was the way she stood there nervously and shyly, as if _his _opinion on the outfit actually mattered to her. Since when did she care what he thought?

Finally, when he saw her expression change to looking more worried than nervous, he recovered and shot her a smile. "Abby, wow, you look well nice!"

Her eyes lit up, seemingly genuinely happy about the compliment and she spun around to model the outfit for him. "Thanks Con!"

"Yep," he nodded, swallowing and smiling weakly and confusedly at her. Okay, so his opinion _did _matter. Suddenly he felt a bit subconscious about his own attire. He glanced at his jeans and t-shirt. "Abby, am I under-dressed? I am, aren't I? I should go change."

She shook her head, an amused grin appearing. "You look fine, Connor. If you change now we won't have time to get popcorn. Don't want to miss the first few minutes of Land of the Lost, do we?"

No, no he didn't. But why did Abby want to see it so badly anyways? When they'd seen the ad on TV she'd said she thought it looked stupid. Suddenly he realized that she'd chosen it for him… just like she'd bought cake for him and etc, possibly even dressed up for him. If he didn't know better, he would start thinking Duncan was right. But that… well that wasn't possible, was it?

He browsed his head for other ideas and it occurred to him that she was practicing on him. She'd met someone else and wanted to practice on Connor first. The way she was so nervous about his opinion on the outfit meant that the guy was likely to see it… and she'd picked this movie because… the guy would be there! That was it. She was hoping to randomly run into him. It made perfect sense, even if his feelings were a bit hurt by it.

"Abby," he asked cautiously. "Is anyone else going to be at the movie?"

She looked at him, puzzled. "I would imagine so, Con. It's a new release and all. Surely loads of people will be there."

He smiled at that, "I _meant _anyone else we know, or you know, or know of. Do you think you'll recognize anyone there?"

She shook her head, her brow creased as she tried to figure out what he was getting at.

He suddenly seemed to relax a bit. "Sorry, Abs, was just trying to figure out who you're dressing up for."

She giggled then. Actually _giggled! _"You, Con, you're the one I'm going with, aren't you?"

"Right," he agreed, giving her an odd look. Well, maybe he didn't understand her at times, but if she was gonna buy him cake and watch his shows and get all dressed up for him, then he was sure as hell gonna enjoy it. He grinned as he worked out that everyone else in the line up would assume he was on a proper date with Abby.

* * *

They entered the cinema and, while Connor got the tickets, she spotted a familiar face. "Braydon!" she called out ,already on her way to greet her old friend with a hug.

Braydon broke the embrace first and held Abby an arm lengths away to look at her. "Abby, you look so good."

"Thank you. How are you? We haven't seen each other in ages."

"Pretty good, thanks."

Before they could continue their small talk, Connor walked over. "Bray, this is Connor, my flatmate. Con, this is Braydon, we worked together at the Wellington Zoo." A crushed expression covered Connor's face for a moment, but before Abby could give it a second thought, Braydon spoke again.

"So you two, what are you going to watch?"

"Land of the Lost." Abby stated, and Connor didn't miss Braydon's stunned look as he voiced his surprise, "Oh, really? I never knew you were into those kind of movies."

The blonde shrugged her shoulders and grinned at her former coworker.

"I see, always good for a surprise," Braydon chuckled as he stepped closer to Abby and pulled her into his arms. "I should go, otherwise I'll miss the beginning of My Sister's Keeper. Abby, it was great seeing you again." He then held out his hand for Connor to shake it. "Nice to meet you, Mate. And you better treat your girl right, otherwise you'll be in trouble with _me_." Braydon winked.

Before Abby could deny their relationship, Connor preempted her. "No worries, we're just pals, nothin' more. Best mates, is all."

A dull feeling flashed through her body when she heard Connor's words. But really, she couldn't blame him. How often had _she_ been the one to deny that there was anything more between them.

"At least nothing more _yet_. Hopefully." Abby muttered under her breath, half wishing Connor would hear it, half fearing he would.

She put on a smile and linked arms with him. "So, how about we share a big bowl of popcorn?"

* * *

Connor wasn't sure what to think. It was as though his suspicion earlier had been confirmed, but that would mean that Abby'd outright lied to him. He heard her mutter something under her breath, but couldn't quite make out what. Probably she was embarrassed that Braydon had thought they were together, he figured. He was a bit relieved the guy wasn't going to the same movie as them.

"Abs, did you know he'd be here?"

She shook her head, "No, why?"

"Just wondering. You seemed pretty friendly with him."

"Yeah well, we're friends Con. At least we were, I guess, we've sorta lost touch a bit."

"He seemed a bit protective of you."

Abby shrugged, "Yeah, Braydon seemed to think it was his job to protect _all _the girls at the zoo, even the non-human ones. Bit of a sensitive spirit that one."

"Must be, if he's gonna go see My Sister's Keeper on his own," Connor laughed.

Abby giggled too, "Maybe he's here with someone and they were in the loo or something, Con. Now, about that popcorn?"

Connor grinned, "Sure Abby, tell you what, I'll even buy it eh? After all, you got me a cake."

* * *

To Abby's surprise she liked the movie more than she had thought she would, but what she really enjoyed was Connor's company. It felt good, right even, to be on a date with him, even if he hadn't seemed to clue it yet that it was one.


	4. Chapter 4

When the movie was over, Abby didn't want the evening to end. "How about we walk home instead of taking the tube? It's a nice night and a small walk might do us good."

Connor was startled by the question, but didn't mind extending their night out a little longer either. "Sure, why not."

They walked through the streets, both lost in their own thoughts, but neither finding the silence uncomfortable. Every now and then, the zoologist walked closer to Connor and let her hand brush against his, hoping he'd find the courage to take hers.

When he didn't, Abby knew that if she continued flirting the way she had done in the past days, it would go on like this forever. So, when they arrived home, she took a deep breath. It was time to push a little further. Before she could think her plan over, she pecked Connor's cheek and left him standing in the middle of their flat. She had nearly gotten to her bedroom door when she turned around to face him. "We should do that more often, Connor: this going on dates thing, I mean." She quickly closed the door behind her and leaned against the wood, squeezing her eyes shut as a wave of adrenaline washed over her.

* * *

Connor stood motionless in the living room for a moment. She hadn't actually just said what he thought she had, had she? Surely his ears had played a trick on him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was pretty sure she'd said it.

After some time he managed to collect his thoughts enough to head upstairs. He didn't know how long he'd stood there staring at her door in shock, but he knew it was long enough to be embarrassing if she came out of her room and found him still there. She wanted to… to go on more dates with him? But that hadn't been a date, had it?

No, he decided, thinking about it. Definitely it was not a date. If Abby thought it was, she was sorely mistaken. Because if that had been a date, it would have been much different. For one thing, he would've dressed a little nicer and for another he wouldn't have used _her _card to pay for their movie and then he would've held her hand on the way home like he'd longed to do. Only he wouldn't have taken her right home; he'd have taken her out for ice cream at that cute little Sundae Shop she loved across from the theatre first. And he would have asked her for a proper kiss too... he probably would've fumbled for the right words and spilled ice cream on his shirt, but that was hardly the point. Most importantly, if that'd been a date, he would've _known _about it.

It was late, but he definitely needed some advice now, so he picked up the phone and called the one person who knew what was going on: Duncan.

Duncan answered immediately. "So, how was the big date?"

"Can you people _stop using that word?_ Wasn't a date."

"Chill, Con, was just playin' with you."

"Sorry, it's just Abby called it that too."

"Abby? _The _Abby that asked you out on it in the first place? Connor, wouldn't she _know _if she asked you on a date."

"See I'm starting to think she doesn't know what the word means. She kissed me cheek too, Dunc. What's that mean?"

"You know, Con, I used to think you were smart. I'm starting to wonder now. You're not still gonna deny that Abby likes you, are you?"

"Why would she, Dunc? I'm not her type in the slightest, I don't clean up after meself and I spend most me time on video games or raving about dinosaurs."

"I'm not a mind-reader, Dude. What she actually say about the date?"

Connor told him and Duncan was silent for a bit before replying. "So ask her on another one."

"You crazy?"

"She's told you that she wants to go on another date, if you don't ask she'll be wondering why not."

"Yeah… I gotta think Dunc. Have a good night."

He hung the phone up again. Was Duncan right? Was he supposed to ask Abby out again? Maybe he should. Maybe he should show her what a proper date was supposed to be like, since she was obviously confused on the fact. But what if she'd changed her mind come morning? He almost panicked then. What if, what if come morning things were all awkward and weird now? Oh that'd be bad! It took him hours to fall asleep after that, as he lay awake worried that Abby was gonna grow suddenly distant from him by breakfast.

* * *

Abby woke up when the first rays of sun shone through her window shade. The moment that the memories of the past evening floated back to her, a smile began to play around her lips. She quickly got out of bed, grabbed a pair of jeans and her favorite top, and headed to the bathroom. On her way she stopped in the kitchen to put on the kettle.

"Con, get up, it's a beautiful day!" she called out before she disappeared into the loo.

It was their day off, and while Abby stood in the shower she made plans for their day, assuming they'd spend it together. She pictured them going out for breakfast, maybe a walk afterward or they could even spend it out of town. That was, if Connor wanted to spend the day with her. What if he had other plans? What if he wanted to meet Duncan, or Caroline? The blonde shuddered at the thought of the other woman. And suddenly the fear was back: the fear of getting hurt.

She remembered the last thing she'd said to him the night before and her well-known insecurities came rushing back. In a trance, Abby got out of the shower and toweled herself dry and dressed while thinking about how easily Connor could hurt her once she let him know about her feelings. She liked him, really liked him, but the idea of letting him in too close scared her as much as the thought of him dating another woman hurt her. For her it was safer that way.

She had to back out while she still could, and first she had to find a way to take back the thing she'd said about going to another date.

Fully dressed, she exited the bathroom and found Connor already sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of tea in his hands and another already filled, waiting for her on the countertop.

"Morning," he mumbled as Abby reached for a banana and sat down opposite from him.

"Morning Con." A heavy silence settled down in the kitchen. "Connor, about yesterday," Abby began carefully without averting her look from him.

He didn't meet her eyes, but Abby saw how his shoulders tensed at her words, how his hands tightened the grip around the mug, and for a brief second, she saw hurt flashing over his face before he disquised it. He waved at her. "It's okay, Abs. I know it wasn't a date; we just went out, as pals, that's all."

Abby bit her lower lip. He had been_ expecting_ her to take back the words. She had done it more than once already, letting him come close and suddenly pushing him away again with no apparent reason. Suddenly it dawned her that pushing him away hurt _both of them_ equally. She was okay with doing this to herself, but she wouldn't put him through it. Maybe it wasn't time to _stop_ flirting with Connor; maybe it was time to face her fears.

"Connor, I meant what I said."

Connor finally looked up into her eyes, studying her face for a bit as if trying to read her. She found herself blushing and forced herself not to get up and walk about the kitchen, making herself busy to avoid this. He was being silent, too silent. She wondered if she should say something else, but just as her mouth opened to do so (which was probably a bad idea as she had no idea _what _she was about to say) he spoke.

"I meant it too, Abs. It wasn't a date."

_What?_ That wasn't what she'd expected at all. _Connor _didn't want it to be a date? But he'd told Duncan he loved her! She felt suddenly as if she'd been punched and wondered how she could take everything back. Her eyes started to water and her mind felt a mess and she was well aware that her mouth was hanging open. Slowly she became aware that Connor's hand had covered her own and he was looking at her gently. Was he about to give her _the talk_? To break her heart? Should she run from the room? How many times had she broken his though? So she should probably listen. She was frozen in place anyways.

"Abby," his voice was tender, "Abby, I had fun with you last night, I really did. I'm sorry, I didn't realize what you'd wanted when you asked me out. I didn't realize it was meant to be a date, and... well, I wanna redo, Abs. Please. Do you have _any _idea how many times I've imagined going on a date with you? But I always imagined I'd _know _about it! Abby it'd be so much better, I'd hold your hand, buy you flowers, dress up, the whole shebang. _That _was not a date, and especially not our first one. Let me take you out proper-like, okay?"

He couldn't believe that he'd just gotten up the nerve to actually ask Abby out on a proper date, but it was her who had started this, and she'd somehow looked upset when he'd told her it wasn't a date last night. Now that the words were out, he let go of her hand and fiddled nervously with his gloves as he waited for her to respond.

Abby gulped as her head processed his request slowly. She had been so sure that he was about to break her heart the moment he had said it wasn't a date, but then he had taken her hand and her skin had prickled under his touchand he had actually _asked her_ out on a date: a proper date, with flowers, hand holding, and all that jazz. A warm fuzzy feeling overcame her; Abby had never been on a real date. No one had ever seemed to bother about it, about her, before, but she knew that Connor meant it. He wouldn't make empty promises.

"Yes," she smiled at him, "I'd love that."


	5. Chapter 5

Connor's eyes lit up and he beamed at her happily, "Good, really good Abs. When do you want to go? Today? We should go today since we're off yeah?"

Abby nodded.

"Great, um, I'll go get dressed then. Where would you like to go Abby?"

"You pick, you're the one who asked me to go out with you."

"Right, yeah, I should choose, shouldn't I? Well give me awhile, Abs, to think this through, yeah? And to get ready?"

She nodded again, she'd need time to dress up a bit too.

"Right, how 'bout noon, Abs. I can pick you up at noon, though it's not really picking you up when we live together is it? But I'll come rapping at your bedroom door if you like. We'll go for lunch to start and I'll figure out where we'll go after in the meantime?"

"Sounds good," Abby agreed happily. She turned and headed out of the room to find an outfit herself.

Connor watched her go with a grin. _He was going on a date with Abby! A real date! _He didn't know where yet, but first things first he thought as he dashed to the computer to order some flowers.

* * *

Abby sighed and let herself flop down onto her bed, right beside a pile of clothes. She had a bunch of clothes, a lot of skirts even, but nothing seemed appropriate for a date. Abby wanted to wear something more chic, yet casual enough for daytime. If it'd been a different situation, she'd have settled again for the grey dress, but that was out of question since she had worn it the night before. She needed help. Picking up her mobile, the blonde started pacing through the room as she dialled.

"Sarah, it's me, Abby. Connor asked me out on a date and I have nothing to wear. Can I come over?"

There was silence on the other line for long enough that Abby thought the connection had been broken until she heard Sarah give a little gasp, her voice filled with surprise when she began to speak. "Wow. Sure come over. But Abby, I warn you, I want _all_ the details."

Abby rolled her eyes, "We'll see. Thanks Sarah, See you in a bit."

"Oh and Abby, bring the short black leather jacket you have and one of your 7/8 length leggings."

Abby quickly grabbed the items and left the flat. "Connor, I'll be at Sarah's. Pick me up there!" She called out before she stepped out onto the street.

* * *

The pictures online were confusing Connor. There were so many photos of flowers and he wished he knew which her favourite was. He wondered if it was worth texting her at Sarah's to ask, but she already knew she was getting flowers, at least the _type _should be a surprise, right? Finally he found a bouquet of black, red, and white roses mixed together that was really unique. He was sure the black ones were dyed somehow, but it was against the norm for a bouquet and the thought Abby would appreciate that.

Then he set about planning their date. There was a brilliant little outdoor fish and chips place close to Duncan's house where he thought they could go for lunch. The food was nice there and they had wonderful ice cream for dessert. After that he wasn't sure, so he browsed the internet again for good date locations in the vicinity. Finally he settled on the local roller rink. Abby had told him once how she used to love skating as a kid and would like to try it again someday. Besides, not being able to skate in the slightest himself would be the perfect excuse for Abby to have to hold his hand for _hours. _

"Rex! I'm getting in the shower!" He called out, "If the roses arrive, don't eat 'em!"

He cleaned himself up and dressed quickly in a nice pair of dark blue jeans and a red dress shirt and then donned his favourite fedora. He sprayed himself with a bit of cologne that he hadn't used in years. Just as he was finishing up the doorbell rang and the flowers arrived. He signed and paid for them, glanced at the clock and grinned. It was time to go collect Abby.

* * *

Abby had hoped that being with Sarah would calm her nerves, but she was disappointed. When she arrived, she was greeted with a warm smile and ushered into to the flat, where a cup of tea was already waiting for her. "So, a date?" Sarah asked with a smug grin on her face, while she sat down on the sofa. "About time don't you think?" Abby blushed under her friend's gaze.

"Maybe," Abby shifted around nervously on the sofa. She was jittery and the fact that she still didn't know what she should wear on the date wasn't helping. She sighed, "Look, I'll tell you about it, but can we please find something for me to wear first?"

Sarah couldn't hold back her laughter. "You two have been dancing around each other for as long as I know you, and now that Connor finally asks you out you look like a bundle of nerves."

Abby stood up hastily, "Maybe this was a stupid idea, sorry for bothering you."

Sarah reached for the blonde's wrist and stopped her from leaving. "Abby, calm down! I didn't meant to offend you."

Abby slumped back down into her chair. "I know,I guess. Sarah, I am sorry, it's just..." Frustration overtook her, "I don't know, I can't even describe it myself. I feel like a little school girl. I'm just _really_ nervous."

"Listen, it's Connor. You two are living together, you know each other, so you won't suffer any unpleasant surprises during the date. And Abby, he absolutely adores you."

Sarah dropped the subject and rubbed her hands together, "And now, let's find you the perfect outfit. What color are the leggings you brought?"

Abby pulled out a pair fo dark green leggings from her bag. Sarah took a quick look and disappeared into her bedroom, only to return with a denim skirt and a top in the same green moments later. Abby got changed and looked herself up in the mirror. The skirt ended just above her knees and thus was longer than the ones she usually wore. The sight amused her, but still she was impressed. The outfit Sarah had chosen went perfectly together; she looked chic without being completely dressed up or losing too much of her own style. She slipped back into her Converse shoes. Sarah tried to convince her to wear some ballerina flats but Abby refused.

She applied a matching green eye shadow and mascara before reappearing in the living room. Sarah glanced up and looked her friend over, approving the outfit with a nod. "You feel comfortable?"

"Yes."

Feeling less nervous, Abby settled down on the armchair and filled Sarah in about the flirting game. She told her about the conversation she'd overheard between Connor and Duncan and mentioned all the little hints she had left.

When the doorbell finally rang, Abby's heartbeat increased. Sarah said her farewell in the living room and left Abby to open the door alone.

Abby stopped in the hallway to put on a little bit of perfume and a transparent lip gloss that made her lips shimmer lightly. Then she took a deep breath and opened the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Connor was standing there with a grin, and suddenly any nervousness on Abby's part flew away as she grinned back. He looked good, really good, and she could see he'd put a bit of thought into his outfit but he was still _her _Connor, the one she knew almost everything about and she knew what she could expect with him. Besides, he looked so happy at the moment, more than she'd seen him in a long time She loved knowing that the smile reaching to his eyes was for, and because of, her.

After a moment of silently eyeing one other's outfits and staring with silly grins at each other, Connor suddenly whipped the flowers from behind his back and presented them to her. "Tada!" He said with a flourish, and Abby giggled a bit at his antics before taking them and giving him a peck on the cheek.

Then she actually looked at them appreciatively. "Wow, these are gorgeous, Con. I love them. So cool! But where am I gonna put them?"

"Place I wanna go for lunch is on the other end of town anyway, Abs. We'll almost go right by the flat again so you can drop them off if you want."

She nodded her agreement and linked her arm through his, allowing him to lead her out to the car. Behind them she heard Sarah call out a window, "You two behave!"

Connor turned around and gave Sarah a wave and a thumbs up before opening the car door for Abby. Once they were both inside the car, Connor flashed her a grin. "You look amazing by the way, Abs. Can't believe you went to all that trouble just for me."

"Thank you. You look pretty good yourself." She tapped Connor's fedora and flashed him a bright smile. "So where are we going?" she asked as he started the engine and navigated the car into the traffic.

"Not tellin'. Wouldn't be a surprise then, wouldn't it?" He turned to his date and grinned.

"I guess not."

A comfortable silence filled the car then while both dwelled on their own thoughts. At their flat, Abby quickly jumped out of the car to put the flowers into water. She placed the bouquet on her bedside table since she didn't want to take the risk of their prehistoric animals nibbling on the flowers. Then she chased Rex, Sid and Nancy out of her room and closed the door behind them. When she returned to the car, Connor was leaning against it, a genuine smile on his lips that showed off the dimples Abby loved so much. Suddenly Connor's words from the other day returned to her, the ones that were meant for Duncan's ears only. Connor offered her his hand to help her in but instead of letting go of it afterward, Abby held on tight. "Connor, there is something you should know."

Connor knelt down beside the open door and watched as Abby began to fumble with his fingers. "I heard what you said to Duncan." When only a confused expression spread over his features, Abby continued, "I heard you say that I only put up with you for the rent money." Before she could change her mind, she continued. "It's not true, you know. I really like having you around."

Connor paused, letting her words sink in, and then flashed her a grin. "Yeah, Abs, I was starting to get that. I mean, that you like having me here, not the bit about you listening to me and the Dunc-Man. It's good you know, 'cuz I like having you around too." Then suddenly his expression changed a bit and he looked at her worriedly, "Wait, is that why you were doing all that stuff like buying cakes and stuff? To prove you wanted me around?"

Abby shook her head, "No, not really. I mean, I guess, just hearing you say that made me realize that I don't show you enough that I like you. And trust me, Con, "she hesitated a bit, biting on her lip and blushing before continuing, "I _really _like you, a lot. That stuff," she hurried on before he could react, "was a really poor attempt at flirting with you."

Connor chuckled, "Oh, Abby, I gotta tell you, I'm 'bout as clueless as they come when it involves women, yeah? You gotta be far more obvious than that! Course, Duncan got it, he said you liked me, I pretty much told him he was mad, didn't I?" Then he suddenly brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "For the record, Abs, I _really _like you a lot too."

Abby grinned at him, looking well pleased, and then nodded toward steering wheel. "Good, we're agreed. Should we get going then?"

Connor laughed and nodded, jumping into his side of the car and starting the engine.

* * *

When they arrived at the small restaurant Abby couldn't believe her eyes. It was a small venue with only a few tables inside but a lot more on the terrace. Right behind the terrace was a garden with a pond, including a small waterfall and water lilies. Abby walked over the little bridge that crossed the pond and spotted two snapping turtles and a glint of Goldfish. With a bright smile she turned to Connor and slowly wandered back to him, "It's beautiful, I never had expected something so beautiful in the middle of the city."

Connor had watched her from one of the tables, and now pulled out a chair for Abby. "Thought you'd like it." He had chosen a table at the side of the terrace, with a full view of the garden.

They decided what to eat quickly; Connor choosing fish and chips and Abby giving the combination platter of fish, prawns and chips a try. Before the waitress left, Abby ordered the dessert as well: a sundae for two. To her amusement, Connor tried hard to hide his surprise and Abby let the moment pass without commenting on his funny expression. While they waited for the meals to be served the conversation flowed easily. Both enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the venue as they ate and most of all, each others company. When the waitress brought the sundae, Abby watched as Connor grabbed his spoon ready to dig in but then stopped mid-movement. He withdraw his hand and searched Abby's eyes. Instead of answering his unspoken question, she had one in store for him herself. "Con, what kinda things _would_ you have recognized as flirting?"

Connor didn't say anything for a long time and, for a moment, Abby thought that she had messed up again, that the question was inappropriate, but then she realized that he was just thinking about the answer, unsure himself. After a bit, he shrugged. "I dunno, Abs, is it important?"

"Sure. I used to give you flirting lessons, didn't I? Now it's your turn. Teach me what _you'd _want if I was trying to pick you up."

Connor raised an eyebrow, amused. "_If_?"

She grinned and shrugged, "When then."

He sighed a bit, "Truth is, Abs, you did a lot of the right stuff. You're just the wrong person."

"What?" Abby asked, thinking she should be offended but knowing Connor well enough to understand that that didn't come out at all how he meant it.

He blushed and looked a bit flustered, "I didn't mean it like that. You're definitely the right person. Always have been, Abs. But… okay, let's say George from down the street showed up at the door and he'd brought you a sweet dessert and asked you to the movies, what would you think?"

"Who?"

"I just made him up. George doesn't exist. Well, maybe he does, I don't know many of the neighbours so one of them could be named George. It's not the point. What would you think?"

"I'd think he wanted a date, at least." Abby said, "But that's exactly what I did do, Con, and you didn't get it."

"Right. Because you're the wrong person."

"So cake and movies are only flirting if it comes from George down the street?" Abby pushed, laughter in her eyes at Connor's inability to express himself.

"Exactly! Well, could be Joe or Frank or… wait, no, this is 'bout me, so maybe Susie or Gretel, or…"

"Con do _any _of these people exist?"

"Not that I know of, but again, haven't met many of the neighbours. Point is, Abs, what you did was fine. It _was _flirting really, but because it was _you, _I didn't get it. Think about it, Abs. If I'd shown up with dessert for you and casually asked you to see a movie with me, would _you _take it as flirting?"

Abby thought about it and then shook her head, "I guess not."

"No! 'Course not! Because we're roomies, best friends, even coworkers. We do stuff together, we're _always _together, so catching a movie is normal. We have weekly movie nights even and sure we went to a theatre this time, but that's not a huge deal."

"So then, what should I do, Con? Because I'm not trying to flirt with George, Joe, Frank or even Gretel, I'm trying to flirt with you. My way isn't working, so teach me what _I _need to do and not some random stranger or even acquaintance."

"The girl-thing was good, Abs. The dressing up for the movie and stuff. I knew that was flirting because you did it with Stephen when you liked him. It's just, you know, you'd told me so many times that me and you was just pals I didn't realize you were doing it for _me. _Thought maybe you wanted to meet someone. I might have caught onto that one though, if you kept doing it. But let's see what else, yeah?"

He hesitated, thinking for a bit and Abby reached and gently traced a few circles on the back of his hand with her fingers. Connor looked at her in surprise, "Yeah, that's good too, Abs. Any type of touching is good. And if you compliment me, but not the normal ones. I already know I'm a genius, everyone at work says so, that's not flirting, it's fact."

"Oi!" Abby protested with a laugh, pulling her hand back, "Don't go getting big-headed on me. What sorts of compliments then?"

"Oh you know, the usual, how I look, that sorta thing. But Abby, can I just point out that our sundae's gonna melt if we don't eat it soon?"


	7. Chapter 7

While they ate their sundae and afterwards during the drive to her "big surprise", Abby was quiet, thinking about the words her date had said. "Any type of touching is good. And if you compliment me."

With his words in mind, Abby thought about ways to break her habits of keeping him at bay. So far she had always swallowed all the compliments she'd wanted to give him and their points of contact were rare, because she'd never wanted to give him the wrong impresson. Now that she actually wanted to flirt with him, she had to change that. Only so far, she had no idea how because she'd fallen into such a habit. She considered making up a few compliments she could drop during the rest of the day as practice, but shoved the idea aside again a moment later, knowing that compliments that simply slipped out were more honest and actually was Connor had wanted.

So she would stick to the touches for now. Her heartbeat increased a little as she reached out to place her hand on Connor's which was lying on the gearstick. Connor glanced at her quickly and squeezed her hand gently, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb.

* * *

Abby's eyes widened and a broad smile appeared on her face when she saw that Connor had chosen a roller rink for the second half of their date. Brimming over with excitement, Abby got out of the car and took Connor's hand. She pulled him after her towards the entrance. "I can't believe you choose this place!"

Fondest childhood memories came floating back to her while she waited for Connor to pay the fee memories she had long forgotten about. But before the emotions overcame her, Connor was by her side again. Together they sat down on a bench and watched the other skaters whizz by while they tied up their skates.

Abby was ready to go first as Connor still fumbling with the laces. "Do you need help, Con?" the blonde chuckled.

"No." Then a soft red hue covered his face and he looked up. "Abs, I've never been skating before," He admitted quietly, feeling unsure all of the sudden.

"Well, I can show you, it's not hard and you can hold on to my hand," Abby offered with a wink.

She waited for Connor to finish lacing up and then took his hands and pulled him to his feet. Slowly Abby started to glide backwards while holding onto both his hands to help him to balance. It didn't take long until Connor was able to shakily skate alone. Abby dropped his hands and saw the disappointment flash in his eyes when they lost contact. Her first reaction was to ignore it, but that wouldn't get her anywhere. Instead she swiftly skated closer and linked arms with him, surprising him with her action and causing him to lose his balance. In order to steady himself, Connor grabbed her arm, catching her off guard too. Before they knew what was happening, they found themselves lying on the floor, Abby on top of Connor, her head buried in the crook of his neck. Abby couldn't move, she was laughing too hard. She was sure they made a funny picture for the other skaters, and the mental image caused another fit of laughter to escape her. Eventually though, her laughter turned into giggles the subsided a few moments later, when she noticed an unusual scent. She took another sniff and pushed herself away from Connor so that she could see him better. "You smell good."

Connor's face lit up a bit, "Thanks Abs, I borrowed your shampoo. Figured you must like the smell since you was the one who bought it."

Abby burst out laughing, "Oh, Con, you _are _one of a kind, aren't you? But I didn't mean that, though now that you mention it, your hair smells good too. Something else. You've got cologne on."

"Oh," Connor blushed as he remembered, "Yeah, that too. Forgot I put it on I did, so I guess I didn't really need to confess to the shampoo thing then."

Abby chuckled as she climbed up off the ground and reached for his hand to help pull him up with her. It took a few tries for him to get back onto his feet, but the happy look in Abby's eyes as she giggled at him made it so worth it. "So," he asked casually as he finally made it into a standing position. "That 'one of a kind' comment, was that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

"Good of course! I wouldn't date you if it was bad now, would I?"

"Good," Connor grinned and then quickly dared to kiss her cheek. He was rewarded by Abby beaming up at him.

After that they fell silent for a bit again as they skated, Abby lost in her thoughts and Connor concentrating desperately on his feet while he wobbled along beside her clutching tightly to her hand. He was doing alright though, despite the slight wobble, and they both knew he could get by now without holding onto her if he wanted to. Soon he was able to relax and just enjoy the disco-like atmosphere. It was fun and new for him, not just the activity but the idea that he and Abby could possibly end up in a relationship for real, provided she was having as much fun as he was.

He glanced around at the other people on the rink to see if anyone had noticed that he was holding hands with the prettiest girl in the place. To his disappointment, no one was really paying them any attention. He was sort of hoping that he could show her off a bit. He wondered how Abby felt about it being known that they were on a date and suddenly he asked her, "Did you tell Sarah we were going a date?"

Abby nodded, "Yeah, why? Is that okay?"

Connor grinned at her as they turned the corner and he stumbled into the boards. "Yeah, better than okay. I thought maybe you'd be too embarrassed of me and want to keep it a secret."

Abby stopped dead in her tracks. His comment hurt her, but really she couldn't blame him for thinking like that. I was definitely time to clear a few things up. Slowly she turned to him knitting her brows together as she caught his eye and held his gaze, decreasing the distance between them. Then she placed her hands on either side of Connor on the boards, caging him in. "I'll tell you a secret," Abby whispered. "Never was embarrassed of you. Sorry I made you believe that." For a second she wanted to kiss him, but changed her mind. Secretly she hoped that Connor would kiss _her_ at the end of this date so instead she just wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Connor let go of the boards, with one hand, and wrapped that arm back around Abby. He wanted to hold onto her with both hands, but their closeness was making him feel a teeny bit weak at the knees and he already couldn't skate very well, so he kept one hand gripping tight to the low wall behind them. Abby didn't appear to mind (or notice) though.

"Abs," he asked tentatively, not wanting to ruin the moment but having to know, "Why did you make me think that then?"

"I didn't mean to, Con," she responded immediately. "It was the result of me pushing you away all the time. I wasn't ready to get close to someone, not like me and you are, and so I did what I had to to keep you at arm's length."

"And you're ready now?"

Abby smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I really think I am." Then broke away from the embrace with a sly smile on her lips. "I hope you don't mind that?"

Connor's eyes widened at the unexpected question. "No, 'course not Abs."

She winked at him and replied, "Good to know," before skating off. A few meters away, she turned around effortless to skate backwards. "Come on, Con, we don't want to waste_ all_ our time standing at the boards, do we?"

After a few fast laps on her own, she fell back into pace beside him, taking his hand again. "And what are our plans for the rest of the day?" she asked, not wanting the date to end. She hoped that this subtle question would give Connor enough of a hint to figure that out.

Connor frowned. He hadn't really had anything else planned, but he definitely _wanted _to continue their date longer. He tried desperately to think up something on the spot and, as he did, his concentration left his feet again and he found himself sitting on his bottom. "Ow," he groaned. Abby laughed and helped him back up and he used the distraction to think of something as he pretended to brush off his trousers and acted like he'd forgotten the question for a moment.

Once they were skating again, Abby turned to him. "Well? You never did answer, Con. What are we doing after this?"

This time he was able to grin at her. "Well, it sorta depends how long you wanna skate for, Abs. If it's still light outside, I was thinking we'd go for a walk in the park. But if it's dark already we could head to the pub and get some wings for dinner and do a bit of dancing. Either way though, I don't want to be out toooo late because I was thinking that cuddling on the couch tonight sounded about perfect."

"Cuddling on the couch?" Abby wore a doubtful expression, her tone matching it, but her eyes were dancing in delight. Still, for a moment, Connor wondered if maybe he'd pushed his luck too far.

"Sounds good." Abby's words were his relief. "I like the idea of the walk, though too. Maybe we could pick up some take-away on our way," She suggested. "Though the dancing sounds fun, it'd be too much for one date I think. We could add it to our list of activities for our future dates."

"Future dates?" The words didn't come out quite how Connor had imagined them, his tone letting out almost a negative vibe due to the fact that he had nearly stumbled over his feet again in surprise. He caught his balance in time to see the worry in Abby's eyes when he faced her.

"Yes, I thought after today, we maybe would go on more dates?" A fine note of insecurity resonated in her voice. He knew she was watching his reaction carefully, and he was aware that she would quickly build up the walls around her if she thought that she might get hurt, but he also knew he wasn't about to give her the chance to do that.

"I'd love that, Abs, and I love the idea of such an activity list." For a second he was tempted to scoop her into his arms, but he knew the result would be them both lying on the floor again, so instead he skated closer to her and kissed her forehead. "I would really love that."


	8. Chapter 8

**The Final Chapter! Thanks for reviewing and we hope you enjoyed it :)**

The pair skated for a bit longer beforereturning the rented skates and heading to the park. Hand in hand, surrounded by a comfortable silence, they walked through the grass. When the sun began to set, Abby squeezed Connor's hand. "Thank you for taking me out on a date, Connor."

Connor paused as he looked at her. "No Abby, don't thank me just yet. We aren't done, remember?"

Abby chuckled, "I know. But still, thanks." Sadness shimmered in her eyes. "No one has bothered to take me out on a proper date before," She admitted quietly.

It took a bit for her words to sink in and when they did he was shocked. It enraged him to think that no one had treated Abby the way she deserved to be treated before, but Connor knew that an outburst wouldn't help her. Instead of venting his emotions, Connor brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it softly. "They have no idea what they missed out on," he told her softly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her along the path. Touched by his gesture and words, Abby smiled up at him and placed her arm around his waist.

They were both silent for most of the rest of their walk, except when they stopped to grab some take-out after leaving the park, just enjoying each other's company. Once they picked up the car at the roller rink though and got into it, the atmosphere changed a bit. Abby flipped on the radio and before they knew it they were both bobbing their heads and singing loudly to an upbeat song that was playing, too happy and giddy from their wonderful day to hold it in. The pulled up at the flat before the song ended, but stayed in the car a minute longer to finish their silly dance. When the music did end, they tumbled from the car laughing hysterically as they made their way into the building.

Connor immediately scurried over to the couch but, to his disappointment, Abby didn't move to join him. "Erm… Abby?" he questioned as she darted into the kitchen. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Abby grinned at him, "How could I forget, Con? But after the skating and the walk and our terrific dance routine in the car, I'm starving. I'll just put the food onto some plates and maybe cut up some fruit and put on a tea and we can cuddle while we consume it, yeah?"

The mention of food made his stomach growl a bit and he realized he was starving too, so he quickly agreed. "Want some help?" he offered.

"No, Con. Wait for me. I'll just be a moment," she replied.

True to her word, she appeared about two minutes later with a cup of tea and a tray full of cut up fruit and two plates of Chinese take-out that she put on the coffee table before sitting down, squeezing in between Connor and the arm of the sofa so that she'd have a place to rest her teacup. Connor grinned at her and grabbed a piece of kiwi, popping it into his mouth before wrapping his arms firmly around her. Abby smiled back and placed her arms around his neck, burying her face against his skin. She shuffled so she sat sideways with her legs draped across him, content to let him hold her.

They'd cuddled a wee bit during movie nights before, but it was different this time. They both knew that the other person wasn't leaning on them just because they were tired. They wanted to feel each other's touch. Abby looked up when Connor let go of her with one hand to caress her face a bit, his thumb brushing across her eyelashes. "You're so beautiful, Abs," he whispered to her.

She bit her lip a bit shyly, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. "Connor," she whispered back, "Is this how it really can be?"

Connor smiled, "Well, we can always be together and know it Abs, but I guess we'll have to get up off the couch at some point. I don't think Lester would appreciate us skipping out on dino-hunting because we were busy cuddling."

She giggled, "I didn't mean it like that, I meant… Oh, I dunno, just everything. I feel safe with you right now, Connor. I never thought I'd feel safe with someone like this, never imagined I could totally trust that someone wasn't going to hurt me in the end."

Connor kissed her forehead. "Oh, Abs," he sighed, "It _has _been a pretty perfect day, yeah? I can't promise every day will be like today, but I can promise that some will be and they'll make it worth it. We'll go on many more dates, yeah? And we'll have each other to cuddle with and talk to after the hard days."

Abby nodded and buried her face against him again, thinking quietly and enjoying the relaxing motion of his hand as he rubbed her back. He was also placing multiple kisses against her hair and shoulder. After a long bit she pulled back and nodded toward the tray. "Pass me some mango?"

Connor grinned and nodded, but instead of holding out the tray to her, he grabbed the piece, his eyes teasing her as he ordered, "Open up then, Abs." She giggled and obeyed as he fed it to her. His eyes shone happily and he immediately reached for a second piece, continuing to feed her as she laughed until Rex appeared and decided that the rest of the food should be his. They were in too good a mood to protest, so Abby simply shoved the fruit tray toward him a bit and went back to cuddling with Connor polishing off the Chinese food instead. When they were done eating, she fell completely silent while he whispered stuff to her, little things about how much fun he'd had, how lucky he was, etc, but she found it harder to pay attention to him as her eyelids grew tired. Finally she yawned. "Connor, I think I should go to bed now. I'm getting really tired and we have to work tomorrow."

He nodded, "Yeah, Abs, it's fine, because this isn't the end, right?"

She grinned and untangled herself from him. "No, just the start for us."

"Right," he stood with her and they looked at each other a bit shyly. "Abby, on most dates this'd be the part where I walked you home, but since you live here, can I just walk you to your bedroom door?"

Abby laughed and nodded, "If you want, Con, but you know it's like, eight steps away, right?"

"I bet it's closer to twelve actually," he teased her as he took her hand.

They counted nine steps total and Abby gave him a pointed look that clearly said '_I told you so'. _

"Still, it was more than _eight_," he argued back even though she hadn't actually said anything.

Abby chuckled and then turned serious again, "Goodnight, Con, see you in the morning, yeah?"

He nodded and then took a deep breath and kissed her quickly on the lips before pulling away and shoving his hands nervously into his pockets. He looked at her with big puppy dog eyes that begged her to not tell him off. Abby grinned, thrilled that he'd made that move first. Her heart beating fast she quickly curled her hand around the back of his neck and reciprocated, kissing him slowly until his hand came out of his pockets again and settled on her hips. The kiss was still sweet and short, perfect for a first date, Abby thought, as they pulled away. She saw the longing look in Connor's eyes still and placed one more kiss on his cheek before leaving him to go get ready for bed.

Connor stood there for a few moments with a grin on his face before whispering quietly to her closed door, "Next date I'll tell you I love you." Then he dashed up the stairs to call Duncan and tell him that he'd been right all along.

* * *

The pair arrived at the ARC the next day and were greeted by the rest of the team in the hub. Lester had called a meeting and chatter filled the room which didn't die down when Lester appeared. The Head of the ARC needed to clear his throat loudly to catch everyone's attention. Only Abby and Sarah were still whispering.

"Miss Maitland, Miss Page, it would be an honour if you could [ay at least a little bit of attention If you can't do that, then please, at least let the rest of us in on your conversation," Lester said, with sarcasm filling his voice.

To his annoyance, Abby actually began to talk. "Sure, I was just telling Sarah what a lovely date I had with Connor last night."

Between muttered 'finally's' and 'about-times' from their team mates and a snort from Lester, Abby caught Connor's gaze and winked at him and he returned her gesture with a broad smile.


End file.
